Beau Geste Digest: New DD Releases

Following hot on the heels of the latest WW1 releases from BG are these tremendous new elephants and spectators for their flagship range of figures celebrating the magnificent Delhi Durbar of 1903

There are four elephants in all, each representing the mounts ridden by various ADCs at the head of the procession

378-379-380-381 - Elephants of the Aides-de-camps, in front of the Main Procession, Delhi Durbar, 1903

378 - Elephant of the Aides-de-camps of the Viceroy, Capt. Baker-Karr - Capt. Wigram, Delhi Durbar, 1903

382 - Occidental Ladies Spectators, Delhi Durbar 1903

383 - Occidental Ladies Spectators, Delhi Durbar 1903

384 - Occidental Gentlemen Spectators, Delhi Durbar 1903

"I have more spectators on the make, almost ready, but I didn't want to hold the releases any longer. There will be one more set of occidental gentlemen, three sets of local spectators, and one box with photographers. I will be updating the elephants pages when they are all ready, and will send the usual brief background then. But in the meantime, here are the images that inspired the four elephants of the main procession."

"There were six elephants in total, with the Aides-de-camps, before the elephants of the Viceroy and the Duke, in front of both columns of the Main Procession. I will make the other two within the next two years. Their howdahs were quite different from the other four and, mainly, I didn't want to release six elephants at once :) Here is a photo showing the six of them."

Happy hunting!

Beau Geste Digest: New WW1 Release

New from BG, a lovely set of British Camel Corps figures representing Imperial troops stationed in Egypt in 1916

A brief background. The Imperial Camel Corps Brigade (ICCB) was a camel-mounted infantry brigade that the British Empire raised in December 1916 during the First World War for service in the Middle East.

From a small beginning the brigade eventually grew to four battalions, one battalion each from Great Britain and New Zealand and two battalions from Australia. Support troops included a mountain artillery battery, a machine gun squadron, Royal Engineers, a field ambulance, and an administrative train.

The ICC became part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) and fought in several battles and engagements, in the Senussi Campaign, the Sinai and Palestine Campaign and in the Arab Revolt. The brigade suffered 246 men killed. The ICC was disbanded after the end of the war in May 1919.

The advantages of camels in a desert environment are well known, and the British Army had raised the Somaliland Camel Corps in 1912. However the British Army forces serving in Egypt at the start of the First World War did not possess their own camel formation.

 
The first units of what became the Imperial Camel Corps were four company-sized formations that conducted long-range patrols around the Suez Canal and the Sinai Desert. The companies were raised in Egypt in January 1916, from Australians returning from the failed Gallipoli Campaign.

The Indian princely state of Bikaner supplied the first camels as the Bikaner Camel Corps already used camels. These camels were later only used as draught animals and the lighter Egyptian camel became the mount chosen for carrying troops. The camels could cover an average distance of 3 miles (4.8 km) an hour, or 6 miles (9.7 km) an hour trotting, while carrying a soldier, his equipment and supplies.

 
The camel companies consisted of a small headquarters and four sections, each of seven groups of four men.

The four companies were expected to operate as independent units that travelled by camel but then dismounted to fight as infantrymen. Following the practice of cavalry and mounted infantry units, one man of each group of four held the camels when the team was in action, which reduced a team's firepower by a quarter.

However it was soon discovered that camels were not as nervous as horses when faced with artillery and rifle fire, and one man would look after twelve to sixteen camels once the troopers had dismounted.

 Happy hunting!

JG Miniatures

In the Noticeboard section of the latest issue of Toy Soldier Collector it was reported that John Gittins, the man behind JG Miniatures, will be a little slower producing orders for customers this year due to ongoing health problems. The good news is he is continuing to work but is cutting back on the number of hours he does. Consequently, people will have to wait a little longer to take receipt of his miniature master pieces

It was also revealed that a new terrain mat is now in production which replicates a tarmac surface

I'm sure you'd like to join with me in wishing John a speedy recovery and all the very best for the future

Collectors Battlefield Wargaming System

Since posting about this topic last night I have been on the toy soldier forum at Treefrog Treasures where I found quite an extensive discussion about the venture

http://www.treefrogtreasures.com/forum/showthread.php?48127-NEW-RELEASE-PRODUCT-RANGE-Collectors-Battlfield!&p=628514#post628514

I've also clicked on the link I referred to yesterday on TCS main page and this time it worked, taking me directly to the Battlefield product pages

http://collectorsbattlefield.com/toy-soldiers/

Keep Watching This Space!

One To Watch

If you take a look at The Collectors Showcase website any time soon you will see an intriguing  image that looks remarkably similar to this

If you hover over the image and click on it you may be disappointed to discover that you are taken precisely nowhere, nowhere interesting that is. You are simply told that the website associated with the name doesn't exist!

As a wargamer, as well as a toy soldier collector however, I couldn't leave it at that so I dug a little deeper. I unearthed a reference to the game at Hobby Bunker and downloaded a couple of promo images [see below] together with the following blurb:

'Collectors Battlefield is an exciting fast play 28mm war-game system. Complete with a range of hand painted 28mm figures and vehicles. We've included quick reference cards with every set that provide all the stats needed to begin game play immediately. Our game manual is geared towards easy to set up and play skirmish games. Whether you're a collector, history aficionado or devout war gamer Collectors Battlefield has something for everyone!'

 

At least two American sites, Hobby Bunker and The Motor Pool, are taking pre-orders on all the figures and vehicles announced so far and the release date is set for late February, early March this year

 

“TCS is pleased to announce our new company: Collectors Battlefield. We’ve taken our great TCS WWII range and scaled them down to 28mm. These great metal 28’s combined with our quick play rules take wargaming to the next level.

Let’s face it who has time to paint armies then tackle a 250 page rulebook? Well we’ve solved both of those problems with our new Collectors Battlefield Wargame System. Figures come pre-painted and rules are easy to learn and fast to set up. And when you’re not playing games with the figures they can double as display pieces for much larger dioramas.

I’ve attached one of our ads below and encourage everyone to take a look at the brand new site. The game system starts shipping at the end of the month. And yes we already have two more historical periods at our factory!

Check out the new site: www.collectorsbattlefield.com

Tally Hooo!

Brian”

I'm certainly keen to find out more and when I do I'll be sure to check it out and keep you posted

Watch This Space!

Airsoft Equipment: Gorgeous Gun!

I took a trip down to my local airsoft site earlier today to pick up some cash from the sale of one or two guns and as I walked into the shop, there on top of one of the clothing display stands was something I've been waiting to see arrive on the market for quite a while now

I was looking at an airsoft version of an iconic light machine gun of the second world war, the German MG34. If, like me, you've had your head in the sand recently when it comes to airsoft, and you've yet to learn of the release of this formidable WW2 replica weapon, then you might want to 'read' on. To be honest, there's not a lot here to read but there's a video clip and some piccies and if you want to actually read some more rather than simply drool over your keyboard, then go to the manufacturer's website or look it up on one of the forums. Enjoy!

 uk.redwolfairsoft.com

       



       

The Collectors Showcase: Latest Releases

The latest releases from TCS, including a rather nice looking 'speciality' vehicle for their German Normandy range

Collectors Showcase

New Releases Expected March 2014!
Roman Collection

• CS00733 -- Roman Mounted Commander 
• CS00734 -- Roman Mounted Slashing 
• CS00735 -- Roman Mounted Charging 
• CS00736 -- Roman Mounted Eagle 
• CS00737 -- Roman Mounted Diorama with Barbarian 

Roman Collection

American Civil War - 11th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment

The 11th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment was raised in Virginia. It fought mostly with the Army of Northern Virginia.

The unit fought at First Manassas in a brigade under James Longstreet and at Dranesville under J.E.B. Stuart. Later it was assigned to General A.P. Hill's, Kemper's, and W.R. Terry's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It served with the army from Williamsburg to Gettysburg except when it was at Suffolk with Longstreet. The 11th was engaged at Plymouth in North Carolina and after returning to Virginia saw action at Drewry's Bluff and Cold Harbor. It went on to fight in the Petersburg trenches south and north of the James River and ended the war at Appomattox.

• CS00749 -- 11th Virginia Regiment Commander 
• CS00750 -- 11th Virginia Regiment Flagbearer 
• CS00751 -- 11th Virginia Regiment Firing 
• CS00752 -- 11th Virginia Regiment Charging 
• CS00753 -- 11th Virginia Regiment Shoulder Arms Running 
• CS00754 -- 11th Virginia Regiment with Bowie Knife 
• CS00755 -- 11th Virginia Regiment Broken 

11th Virginia Volunteer Infantry Regiment

Napoleonic - French Artillery

• CS00764 -- French Guard Horse Cannon 
• CS00765 -- French Guard Horse French Ignitor & Sponger 
• CS00766 -- French Guard Horse French Commander 
• CS00767 -- French Guard Horse French Carrier & Mover 

Napoleonic - French Artillery

World War II

• CS00792 -- SturmTiger Winter 
• CS00793 -- SturmTiger Normandy 
• CS00794 -- Sturmtiger Loader Set 

World War II Collection

 

Happy Hunting!

Thomas Gunn Miniatures: February Releases

The latest releases from TGM, and it's quite a list this month I can tell you. A little something for everyone, well very nearly. Enjoy!

Thomas Gunn

New Releases Expected Late February! French Foreign Legion - Mexico Mexico was Emperor Napoleons attempt to establish an empire for France in Mexico whilst the United States were busy with their own Civil War. One of the most famous of all battles was fought at Camerone where a few legionnaires fought off several thousand Mexicans before being overwhelmed and almost wiped out to the last man. We plan to expand this range significantly over the next few months and it is all set to be one of flagship ranges with lots more additions! MADFFL001 -- Pointing (Red Trousers) - An NCO points out a target whilst keeping a low profile. MADFFL002 -- Kneeling (Red Trousers) - Kneeling firing soldier picks out another target MADFFL003 -- Firing (Red Trousers) - Standing firing wearing red trousers slightly turning to the left. MADFFL004 -- Firing (White Trousers) - More formal upright standing firing straight ahead and wearing white trousers. French Foreign Legion - Mexico French Foreign Legion All figures except FFL024 are a limited run of 125. FFL017A -- Standing & Kneeling (Clean Shaven) - Features a standing and kneeling firing pair of legionnaires loaded down with backpacks. The A version wear Kepi fitted with Havelock's whilst the B version sport beards and wear white Kepis minus the Havelock. FFL017B -- Standing & Kneeling (Bearded)  FFL018A -- Standing & Kneeling Repel (White Kepis) - comprises two more Legionnaires in the classic 'Standing Repel' and 'Kneeling Repel' which was still used by the French to fight off cavalry charges in the desert. The A version once again sport Kepis with Havelock's whilst the B version wear the normal white kepis with beards to give them a more rugged appearance FFL018B -- Standing & Kneeling Repel (Havelock's)  FFL019A -- Standing Firing - is a single figure standing firing in a more formal firing pose than FFL017 and minus his backpack. Provides a useful dio filler for your firing line, square or even from a fort rampart! The A version wears a Kepi with Havelock whilst the B version wears a normal Kepi and has a patch on the left leg of his trousers! FFL019B -- Standing Firing (Trouser Patch)  FFL024A -- Standing Reloading (Kepi) - Is a single standing reload figure which has been sorely missing from the ranks since we started this range. The A version wears a Kepi with Havelock whilst the B version is missing his hat, but still reaches coolly for more ammo as the Arabs fire around him. This figure is actually very flexible as he can be positioned facing up to four different ways in your firing line, whereas the firing line guys generally have to be facing forwards towards the enemy! As such we only made 100 of these figures. FFL024B -- Standing Reloading (No Hat)  TG-FREE009 -- Parade Officer  French Foreign Legion French & Indian Wars Originally produced for a museum in the UK. The Royal Americans were formed in 1756 after Braddocks defeat and were specifically formed with a view to fighting in the Americas and Canada. Officer recruitment was mainly from Switzerland and Germany, it was the first time foreigners had been allowed an officers commission in the British army. The 60th were trained to fight as a conventional infantry unit but also as a more irregular force that could fight in the heavily wooded areas of North America against the French and the Native Indians. The Regiment fought at Louisbourg, Quebec and Bushy run plus it maintained garrisons throughout the continent during the FIW. Our first figure from this series is dressed as he would have been for the FIW and is stood to attention, useful for either on parade, guard or waiting to go into battle. All the figures in this series are slightly smaller than our normal 60mm range and will fit in nicely with Britain's, JJD or Frontline figures from this period. FIW001A -- 60th Foot Regiment (Parade) - is clean shaven, dressed wearing white gaiters whilst our B version wears the 'campaign' brown gaiters and has more of an unshaven look about him. FIW001B -- 60th Foot Regiment (Campaign)  French & Indian Wars African Wars Please note these figures are the same size as Britains and Conte to enable the collector to mix and match their collection. SFA005A -- Laying Down Firing (No Hat) - Lying down firing rifleman. No base on this figure allows him to be used in a variety of places. The A version has no Pith helmet whilst the B version has Pith hat worn as per Queens regulations! SFA005B -- Laying Down Firing (Pith Helmet)  SFA006A -- Wounded (No Hat) - Wounded Rifleman or probably very close to dead looking at the nasty wound suffered to his throat! Once again the A version is minus his Pith helmet whilst the B version wear pith helmet. SFA006B -- Wounded (Pith Helmet)  African Wars World War One LOA009 and LOA010 are the B version of our FFL Arabs that recently sold out at quite an unbelievable rate of knots. This version as such will be very useful for helping the Allied side in their fight against the Turks. GW018 -- French WW1 (Gas Masks) - is something not seen from Thomas Gunn before and this is French WW1 infantry wearing gas masks dressed in Horizon Blue! Both soldiers are wearing the ARS gas mask which was very similar in appearance to the German army issue gas mask of the time. One soldier reloads whilst kneeling and our second figure fires from the prone position.  Please note more Frenchies wearing gas masks will be coming later on in the year to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of WW1. LOA009 -- Firing & Wounded - comprise a standing firing figure and a wounded brother in arms. LOA010 -- Standing & All Fours - features a standing sneaking forward and a cautiously advancing Arab on all fours. World War One   Happy Hunting!